The invention relates to a touch switch layout according to the preamble of claim 1. The invention also relates to a method according to the preamble of claim 20. Such touch switch layouts are advantageously used for electrical appliances having several electric loads. The electric loads can be adjusted with regards to their electric power. By means of a selection switch, they can be selected for a power setting or control to be performed.
Such known touch switch layouts have a selection switch for each electric load, as well as a positive and minus button for the power setting. This means that three touch switches are required for each electric load, which is very complicated, also from the standpoint of the control method.
The problem of the invention is to provide a touch switch layout and a control method for electrical appliances having several electric loads, which can be manufactured with less effort and expenditure, whilst ensuring a high operational reliability and safety.
This problem is solved by a touch contact layout having the features of claim 1 and a method having the features of claim 20. Advantageous and preferred further developments of the invention form the subject matter of the further claims and are explained in greater detail hereinafter. By express reference the wording of the claims is made into part of the content of the description.
According to the invention the selection switch can be used for a specific electric load also or simultaneously for a power setting, e.g. in the plus or minus direction. A power setting can take place in such a way that firstly the selection switch is briefly operated in order to select the specific load. By operating the same selection switch again, it is possible to carry out the power change, e.g. in the form of a power increase. Reference should also be made to the following explanation of the method according to the invention. Thus, a maximum of only two switches per load are required. Thus, for the touch switch layout it is possible to economize one switch, which offers considerable advantages during manufacture and with regards to the operational reliability.
In a preferred development of the invention a common setting or control switch can be provided for several electric loads for a power setting in the other direction compared with that of the selection switch. This permits a further reduction in the number of touch switches, namely an individual selection and power control switch for one direction and a common control switch for the power setting in the other direction. Thus, in this case for the specific electric load, apart from the common control switch it is only necessary to provide a single, individual or specific selection switch. This is more particularly preferred for all electric loads of the electrical appliance.
In order to facilitate operation and control, particularly with one hand, the selection switches or the individual switches can be grouped around at least one common control switch. This particularly advantageously takes place in the form of a polygon corresponding to the number of selection switches. A regular polygon is considered advantageous both optically and from the control standpoint. Preferably there is a touch switch in every angle of the polygon. The touch switches should not be too far apart and are advantageously roughly identical. A one-hand operation is possible for an adult at a distance of max 15 cm, a distance of approximately 5 cm being particularly ergonomic. In this case there can be a simultaneous operation of a central control switch and at least one selection switch as a safety lockout against undesired operation.
With the selection switches can be associated optical or visual display means for displaying the status or switching state of the particular electric load. Preferably individual display means are associated with each selection switch. In a further development of the invention the display means can have several different functions, particularly relative to said electric load. These functions can e.g. be a power display, a hot display and/or a programming which has taken place. A difference between different functions can be provided by an activating LED or specific, different display or representation modes of the display means. Possibilities are e.g. a flashing at different frequencies or different brightness stages.
According to a development of the invention, at least two electric loads are operable and can be adjusted with respect to specific criteria, preferably their power. For this purpose the touch switch layout can have at least three touch switches, which are preferably arranged around a central point or area, preferably in a regular or uniform layout. The display means for displaying the load state can then be located in the area within the layout of the touch or contact switches or in the area of said central point. They are advantageously constructed in such a way that the state of several loads can be displayed in alternating form.
It is fundamentally possible with the display means to display the state of several or all the loads. Since preferably for ease of operation in each case only the state of one load is simultaneously displayed, a state display of the loads should take place in alternating manner. Thus, it is a major advantage of the invention that for several loads only a single display means has to be provided and that the costs for further display means are saved. This expenditure saving is considerable, because it is not only possible to economize on the components per se, but also on their fitting and possible control. It also makes it possible to keep the printed circuit boards carrying the layouts smaller and simpler.
The display alternation can on the one hand take place automatically or in automatically following time intervals for the different loads. Advantageously only those loads which are activated are displayed.
Alternatively a display of the state of a specific touch switch can be polled as required or the display thereof adjusted. For this purpose, e.g. by a single operation of the touch switch individual to each load there can be a change to the display of the state of said load.
According to an embodiment of the invention a control for a hob with several, in particular four hotplates can be created. At a central point or area can be provided a common power control switch and alongside the same a LED display. In a substantially rectangular arrangement about said central point, selection switches can be provided for each of the hotplates. These selection switches have a complimentary function to the common power control switch. If e.g. with the common power control switch the power can be decreased, then with the individual selection switch it can be increased as a power control function and vice versa.
An indication of the particular touch switches or loads for which the central display means are at present active can advantageously take place by means of a display associated with the individual touch switch. In a simple form this can e.g. be a LED. It is possible to use it by different luminous intensities or possible flashing frequencies, both as a general active display and as a selection display for the particular touch switch or the associated load.
In a simple embodiment the display means can have at least one filament lamp or LED. There are preferably several LEDs juxtaposed in line, bar or circular arc form.
Alternatively or additionally the display means can have a seven-segment display. With such an alphanumeric display figures and most letters can be displayed in a clear and readily readable form, so that more information can be displayed.
The method according to the invention for the control of a touch switch provides for the selection of the electric load by a single contact of the touch switch or sensor surface. By contacting again the electric power can be set in a specific direction, so that an easy operation of the touch switch or setting of the electrical appliance load can take place.
In the other direction the power or a similar characteristic of the electric load can be adjusted by a further touch switch. This further touch switch does not necessarily require a selection function, so that the means can be rendered more simple.
Preferably there is a touch switch for the power setting in the other direction jointly for several loads. For a particular power setting in each case one load can be selected by the selection switch and then the power can be adjusted.
The switching in of an additional load associated with the selected load in a hotplate of an electric hob, e.g. an additional heater, can take place by setting the highest power stage for said load. Conventionally such additional heaters are constructed as two-circuit heaters. This is followed by a further raising of the electric power by operating the corresponding touch switch, so that the additional load is activated. A deactivation can be brought about by power reduction or by completely switching off the load.
These and further features can be gathered from the claims, description and drawings and the individual features, either singly or in the form of subcombinations, can be implemented in an embodiment of the invention and in other fields and can represent advantageous, independently protectable constructions for which protection is claimed here. The subdivision of the application into individual sections and the subtitles in no way restrict the general validity of the statements made thereunder.